


Once Again

by Amahoshi



Series: Our Sky (And we will always come back to you) [2]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst, Drabble, Fluff, Gen, Mostly Fluff, Some Plot, Will be edited at some point, flangst, repost from ff.net
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-13 02:04:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 8,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13560369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amahoshi/pseuds/Amahoshi
Summary: Even death couldn't keep them apart. They were Vongala's Tenth Generation. They are family. Reincarnation drabble fic with focus on 10th gen. The drabbles are loosely connected, and eventually will move towards a certain point. But mostly, they're drabbles.





	1. Birth

**Author's Note:**

> This is a re-post from fanfiction.net because I am a bad author and haven't updated for years, but I will... now. Slowly. All chapters will be re-written at some point.
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated <3 Feel free to leave me a prompt! :)

The bundle in her arms shifted, tiny fingers twitching against the cotton blanket. His eyes blinked open, and her world stopped for the entire second it took her to fall in love.

Bright orange pupils looked up at her, calm and clear. She didn't know what infant eyes typically looked like, but this tiny bundle in her arms had a stare that did not resemble what her idea of an infant taking his first look at the world was. It was too clear, too strong. Her gut wrenched and her hold tightened.

"Tsuna." The name rolled out naturally, despite the fact that she already had a list of names for the child and Tsuna had not been one of them.

Her husband looked at her in confusion as she whispered the name out with ease, like she had practiced it before. Her head bowed down until it was touching the infant's midsection. He watched her shoulders shake, heard the infant’s short, sharp cry at her tightening grip.

"Nana?" She looked up at him, eyes bright and watery. "Iemitsu. Isn't Tsu-kun adorable?"

His first response was to laugh at the ridiculous name, but it caught in his throat and died a swift death at the tender look in her eyes. Tsuna was a ridiculous name, but he had never been able go against Nana’s wishes — nor did he plan to. He reached out and cupped her right cheek, smiling his approval.

A gurgle interrupted their moment, and Nana looked back down at the bundle. The infant brought his curious hands up to his mom's cheeks, breaking out into a wide, toothless grin when his tiny fingers met the warm flesh.

Nana broke out in tears, unable to coherently explain the strong sense of grief intermingled with joy that overwhelmed her when Tsuna reached out to her. 

It was like something she never knew she lost finally came back to her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 2/8/18


	2. Dad

The very first time Tsuna gurgled out "Ma", Nana clapped with excitement and enthusiastically urged her son to repeat it again. Next to her, Iemitsu pouted — because “don’t most babies learn daddy or papa first?”

Nana rolled her eyes, but smiled fondly, patting his cheek.

"Don't worry dear, he'll be saying Daddy in no time."

But Tsuna never did call him "daddy". Tsuna's next few gargles were always monosymbols such as "Ha", "Ya", "Hi", but never "Da" or "Pa" — no matter how many teddy bears or how much applesauce he tried to bribe the baby with.

Then — five days after his first birthday — Tsuna finally looked Iemitsu straight in the eye and whispered "Dad".

It never occurred to him that this was out-of-the-ordinary for bright, cheerful Tsuna — all he cared about was that his little Tsu-kun finally recognized daddy. There were plenty of opportunities to learn how to say “daddy” or “papa”. “Dad” was just easier to say.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 2/8/18


	3. 'Myte

"Dad! 'myte!"

Iemitsu paused in the middle of hanging up his coat, directing his attention to the toddler tugging on his pant leg. "What?"

Tsuna stared back — almost defiantly — and his lips pressed together into a stubborn pout. "'Myte dad! Tsu 'myte!"

Iemitsu still didn’t understand - repeating the word doesn’t help, he wanted to say. Somehow, he had the feeling his son would not appreciate the rebuke, so he wisely kept his silence.

Tsuna tugged harder on the pant leg clutched in his hands, his little toddler brain not comprehending why his dad was not giving him what he wanted. 

“‘Myte Dad! Tsu want ‘myte.” 

Finally giving up, Iemitsu swooped down and lifted his son up in his arms, heading towards the kitchen.

"Nana, what does Tsuna want?" There’s a hint of desperation in his tone.

Nana paused in the middle of her dinner preparations, poking her head out.

"Hm? What do you mean?" She looked to the tiny human in Iemitsu’s arms, tilting her head slightly.

"Mama, 'myte!"

Iemitsu looked at Nana helplessly. "What is this “'myte” he keeps talking about?" He felt even more helpless when Nana ducked back into the kitchen. The child in his arms gave him a displeased frown, and after what seemed an eternity — but really only a few seconds — later, Nana came out, holding something in her hands. Upon seeing this object, Tsuna's eyes lit up, and he squirmed his way out of his dad's hold.

He ran towards Nana, leaving Iemitsu to furrow his brows in confusion.

After watching Tsuna scurry off towards the living room with his object clenched between his tiny hands, Iemitsu turned to Nana.

"Dyamite?"

Nana smiled at Tsuna’s back before shrugging and walking back into the kitchen.

"He's been obsessed with it since he saw it on TV."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 2/8/18


	4. Nightmare

Tsuna was three when he had his first nightmare. He woke up kicking and screaming, his body trembling in his mom’s embrace.

“Did you have a bad dream, Tsu-kun?” Nana asked, sweeping his hair — drenched in sweat — away from his forehead and kissing it. He shook his head, refusing to say anything. 

“It’s ok Tsu-kun. Mommy will protect you.” She murmured, rocking him gently.

For the next few days, he hoarded his favorite items, clinging to them with a tenaciousness that left Nana slightly worried.

”They’ll disappear.” He said, when asked about it, lips jutting out in a wobbly pout and eyes glimmering with tears — everyone else had disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 2/8/18


	5. Flame

The first time he saw fire, unexplainable feelings grew inside of him. He spent hours trying to explain to his parents what he felt when he saw the small campfire they made outside, but to no avail. In the end, he resorted to tugging on their pant legs with his tiny, chubby hands whenever they blocked his view.

"Ah, Tsu-kun, be careful." His mom smiled indulgently, but reached for her son to keep him safe. Tsuna looked up at his mom, then looked back at the small, warm fire. He wasn't sure why his mom told him to be careful when the fire looked so… warm. He couldn't explain it in words, but he felt like the fire would always protect him when he was in danger.

"Okaa-san," he tugged at his mom's sleeves until she looked back down at him. "Fire protect Tsu?" Nana looked a little confused, but chuckled and smiled brightly at her son's cuteness.

"Arara, is Tsu-kun cold?"

He was cold, but Tsuna still somehow felt that his mom didn't really understand what the flames exactly meant to him. After all, he didn't really understand it himself.


	6. Tantrum

"No!"

Nana's eyes widened at the outburst, rushing into the living room to see what happened. Her husband turned at the sound of her frantic footstep and looked at her helplessly.

"Nana, he won't calm down." Iemitsu scratched his head, lost at what to do. Nana crept down to Tsuna's level and put her hands on the child's shoulder.

"Tsu-kun, what's wrong?" Nana asked softly. Her son looked up at her and she gasped slightly at the unshed tears. She resisted the urge to hug him tightly. Such a look didn't go well with her Tsu-kun. Instead, Tsuna reached out and grabbed onto her.

"Mamaaa" He whined, hugging her tightly while burying his face into her stomach. Warning bells set off immediately. Tsu-kun never whined. She waited patiently for him to talk, smoothing his brown locks down in a reassuring pat.

"…" She looked down, not understanding his mumbling.

"What is it Tsu-kun?" Tsuna looked up and the unshed tears poured out. Nana frantically wiped the tears away, not knowing what to do with the sobbing child in her arms. She looked around, wondering if there was anything she could stop his crying with when she looked outside. She clapped her hands together as an idea came to her, causing both Iemitsu and Tsuna to look at her.

Tsuna sniffled. He just felt upset. He didn't know why, but nothing made him happy and there was just so much irritation building inside of him that he didn't know what to do. Dad said he was 6 now, a big boy, but Tsuna didn't feel big. He felt small, not important, and irritated. His thoughts were cut short when he felt his mom take his hands and lead him outside. He didn't want to go outside!

"No!" He shouted, stomping his tiny feet as Nana tried to put his shoes on. Nana smiled understandingly and lifted him up without a word. Iemitsu followed behind her, not understanding.

"Why are you taking him outside Nana?" Nana giggled while opening the door.

"The rain's gentle today."

Tsuna didn't know why he was so frustrated, but he was. He didn't want to go outside, but okaa-san brought him outside anyways. He wanted to kick and scream, but he didn't want to hurt his mom, so he could only sulk silently as she tugged on his long, yellow shoes and put a weird looking, plastic coat on him.

Lost in his feelings of irritation, he didn't notice the rain slowly falling down on him, or his mom putting him down. The first drop he felt caused him to pout. It felt cold and  _weird._ He looked up towards the sky, seeing the rain slowly fall down. In awe, he didn't realize his hood slipping off, exposing his locks to the weather.

Before Tsuna realized it, the rain was falling down and with it, his frustrations seemed to wash away as well. He smiled, reaching his hands up to the sky in attempt to catch the rain in his hands. When it slipped through his fingers, he felt a sense of calmness surrounding him. To the surprise of his parents, Tsuna took off his rain-jacket and ran up to them, pushing it into Nana's arms. He then scrambled over to his swingset and sat on it, looking up at the sky while he swung his legs back and forth.

Nana looked at Iemitsu, giggling.

"It seems like he calmed down."

Tsuna didn't understand when or why, but before he knew it, that feeling that made him want to stomp his feet and scream faded away. The rain continued falling silently, gently. He didn't know why, but Tsuna felt like if he turned to his left, someone should've been there with a wide, gentle smile saying:  _"Yo, Tsuna!"_


	7. Order

"Ah, Tsu-kun! Welcome home!" Tsuna smiled brightly at his mom while uttering a quick "I'm home." He clung to his mom right afterwards, still not quite used to being away from her for hours at a time. His mom patted his unruly locks and took his hand, leading him to the kitchen table.

"What do you think today's snack is?" She asked cheerfully. Tsuna's eyes lit up as he saw the plate of strawberry cheesecake - his favorite – at the table. He scrambled up the chair, and with a cheerful "Itadakimasu!" dug in.

Nana sat across from her son, sipping on her tea.

"How was school?"

Tsuna paused while eating and wrinkled his forehead, as if trying to find a way to describe his day. After a couple expression changes, he finally settled for a hesitant "…fine." Nana waited patiently, knowing Tsuna would continue if he wanted to. It didn't take long for her son to set down the fork.

"There were some bullies today…" Nana's eyes widened at that, her heart lurching.  _Bullies? Her sweet Tsu-kun?_ "…but someone stood up for me." Tsuna continued, unaware of his mom's sudden tension. "He had these two sticks, and told the bullies that they were 'crowding'."

Tsuna took another bite of cheesecake, and with a huge smile exclaimed, "He was so strong!"

Nana smiled at the last part, her heart settling down. It seemed like Tsu-kun was in good hands for now.


	8. Bully

She stared at the short figure in front of her, his eyes blazing with a fierce determination. The sharp jerk on her hand shot pain throughout her body, causing her to cry out.

"Stop hurting her," came the command. His eyes smothered, turning into a burnt-orange with sharp steeliness. Next to her, mocking laughter rang out. "Or what? You'll defeat us?" The bully curved his lips up in a mocking smirk and tugged on the short hair, "brat, you can't do anything."

The pain was unbearable to her small, fragile, seven-year old body. She couldn't move, couldn't do anything but cry out in pain. Yet, the small boy in front of her stared at her reassuringly. "Don't worry," his eyes seemed to say, "I'll definitely save you." And she found it hard to believe otherwise, even in the situation she was currently in.

All of the sudden, the pressure on her arm decreased. She caught a glimpse of silver in the corner of her eye before she was once again tugged. This time, however, the tug was gentle and she found herself falling into a warm body as arms surrounded her soothingly.

Tsuna looked down at the girl in his arms and felt a sigh of relief when the pained look no longer sat on her face. It didn't suit her. Not her. Not anyone. He looked over at the piled bodies and hugged the girl tighter before turning to the person next to him.

"Thank you, Kyo-kun."

When she came to again, she felt the prickly grass in her back and a soothing sensation on her forehead. She sat up in confusion, and a handkerchief fell to the ground with a slight thud.

"Are you ok?" She turned at the sound, her heart beating irregularly at the thought of being caught by the bullies again before she caught sight of the familiar orange eyes. The eyes that held her so gently before she passed out. A hand reached out and gently placed itself ontop of hers. She didn't remember the last time she felt such comfort, but she found herself unwilling to let go of the hands she just met recently. She placed her other hand ontop of his and squeezed tightly.

"My name is Kyoko. Can we be friends?"


	9. Glimpse

"… _na…you know this can't continue on forever." A sigh came out and the figure behind the desk shakily bowed his head._

"Tsu…"

" _I know, I know. But I can't give up." His voice broke off slightly and he looked up, orange eyes filled with unshed tears. "…ya…I just can't let you guys disappear without doing anything."_

"…na…"

" _I won't disappear. I promised you, remember?" A confident smirk followed the statement as a hand reached out to caress the other's cheek. "I will always be with the sky."_

"Tsuna…"

_That was the last time he saw the smirk he adored so much._

"Tsuna!"

Tsuna jerked up and straight into a pair of warm arms. Hands stroked his back reassuringly. "It's ok Tsu-kun. It was just a bad dream." Tsuna clung to his mom, his little body and hands shaking, a sheen of cold sweat covering his forehead.

"The sky's friends disappeared…" He mumbled incoherently, still not completely awake. Nana looked at him with confusion.

"Sky's friends? What are you talking about Tsu-kun?" Silence met her question, and she looked down to see that Tsuna's eyes had already closed. His hands remained gripped tightly on her arms. Nana bit her lip worryingly. These nightmares were getting increasingly frequent. She adjusted the covers around them and held her son in her arms tightly, hoping that she would be enough to keep him safe in her arms.


	10. Right-hand

He always knew when a storm was coming. It was like second nature to him. When lightning crackled and the air buzzed with electricity, he could almost smell and feel the coming raindrops.

He understood the mechanics and theory behind the silly elementary school science projects much like one would understand that the sky was blue or that grass was green. Who cared that the chemical reactions of baking soda and vinegar together could make a paper volcano look like it was exploding. It was the actual chemical reaction that caused the white bubbles and foam due to the scientific characteristics in baking soda and vinegar that really mattered.

His family praised him all the time. "A genius," they said with joy as they showered him with hugs. It made him squirm uncomfortably. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the warmth that spread within him at their pride for him, no. He just felt like there was something else. A different kind of feeling that the word "family" should invoke in him. Yet he could never really understand exactly what feeling that should be.

Just like how he could never explain his dreams.

"Gokudera, your attention please." A wry voice cut into his thoughts. Silver hair bobbed as he lazily lifted his head up marginally.

"What do you want, Shamal?" He asked, a flicker of irritation showing on his face. The other rolled his eyes at the crass greeting.

"You said that the stuff in class is boring right? Do you want to try dissecting an object?" Shamal reached over and placed an object on the table; "Your teacher suggested you might be interested in the properties or what-not."

Gokudera looked up in slight interest. Dissection? That could be fun. Slouching slightly with his hands in his pockets, he walked over to the desk and furrowed his eyebrows.

"What's this?" He asked, observing the round stick in front of him.

"Dynamite. Make sure to wear your goggles." Shamal warned as he threw a pair of eyewear at the child. Gokudera caught the object easily and slid it on, reaching out to observe the item closer.

His fingertip touched the item first.

" _Go-gokudera-kun, go-good morn-ning."_

He stopped. What was that? He paused for a minute, before wrapping his fingers around the object completely.

" _Stop kidding! I want to laugh and have fun with all of you, we can't do that if you're dead!"_

Warm orange eyes flickered in his mind. An encouraging light. He fell to one knee, Shamal's worried concerns fading into the background as images continued assaulting his mind.

" _Hayato, I trust you."_

The eyes disappeared and in its place was a mansion. There were a couple people arguing and fighting in the corner while others stood around and shook their head wryly. It was a destructive fight, but the feelings that emerged from the picture were anything but.

" _Ne… will you promise to come back?"_

" _Yes Jyuudaime. I promise."_

The promise had not been kept.

Gokudera clutched the dynamite in his hands tightly. Everything seemed clearer at that moment. The dreams. The feelings. It all tied together. He ignored the shaking of his shoulder by Shamal. The frantic cries and worries faded into the background.

He remembered.

"Jyuudaime…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I get any of your hopes up, Gokudera is the *only* one who will recover his memories, because that's his duty to Tsuna :)


	11. Syllables

Tsuyoshi remembered his wife's insistence on their son's first word. The image lingered in his mind even after years had passed and Takeshi no longer knew only one, but thousands upon millions of words. Even after his wife died in a car accident, no, perhaps it was because his wife died that he remembered it more clearly. He remembered all of the memories with her, but this one shone brightly in his mind because even to this day, he is not sure what his son's first word actually was.

"I tell you, it is mama." His wife's voice echoed around the room, and Tsuyoshi refused to let the welling tears fall as a distant memory from the past rose up.

" _Did you hear that dear?" Her voice rang out excitedly, and Tsuyoshi turned to look at his wife._

" _He said ma!" She hugged her son tightly. "His first word is mama!"_

_Tsuyoshi chuckled at his wife's excitement, not really wanting to be the one to tell his wife that "ma" was simply a mono-syllable phrase and could not really be considered a word._

" _Tsu…" Tsuyoshi laughed as Takeshi continued to blabber out seemingly incoherent words._

"… _na" Both parents looked at their son, in a sort of dumbfounded shock. He clapped happily at the attention and shrieked._

" _Tsuna!"_

_Tsuyoshi looked at his wife, raising an eyebrow. His wife narrowed her eyes in a glare, daring him to say anything else._

" _He said ma first!"_

_He wisely kept his mouth shut and watched as the disappointed mother tried to convince her son to repeat his first syllables twice._

_The nagging question of how Takeshi knew that word floated around in both adult's minds before his cheerful laugh washed the thought away._

"Takeshi, what was your first word?"

His son turned to stare at him with wide, blinking eyes.

"Is this supposed to be a trick question?"

Tsuyoshi laughed, hands swiping across his eyes briefly before turning around.

"I asked your mom the same thing every time she asked me."


	12. Mirror

"What are you doing?"

He opened his eyes and met a pair of indigo-colored eyes. He felt a flash of deja-vu and, for a minute, thought he was looking into a mirror. The little girl continued to stare at him, her face hovering above his.

He blinked, before replying: "I'm looking at the sky."

Her eyes brightened up, this was something she could understand well.

"You like looking at the sky too?" She asked, straightening up before lying beside him on the grass. He wrinkled his eyebrows in thought.

Like? He never thought of it like that. Speaking of which, he couldn't really remember the first time he started looking at the sky, or why. It was just… something he did.

"I… don't know." He finally replied, his tone oddly blank. "It's just something I do."

The girl beside him giggled.

"That's an odd way to put it." She stretched her arms out, narrowly avoiding his face. "I like looking at the sky."

He closed his eyes again, ready to block everything out again, but she shifted; and once again he felt the shadows on his face.

"I'm Chrome, what's your name?"

He stayed silent, hoping she would catch the hint.

"Hey, I'm talking to you." Apparently, she didn't.

"...Mukuro. Rokudo Mukuro."


	13. Fast

"Why am I spending my free time here?"

Tsuna turned around to look at the scowling middle schooler who looked like he would rather be anywhere but where he was currently.

He rolled his eyes in slight exasperation, "You didn't have to come Kyo-kun."

Kyouya narrowed his eyes and the elementary child raised his hands up in mock surrender.

"It's not like I don't want you here." Tsuna reassured him while smiling, his eyes bright and warm. "Kyoko-chan asked me out today, and I couldn't refuse."

"Tsuna-kun! Kyouya-kun!"

The pair turned around at the sound and spotted the orange-haired girl. She waved at them enthusiastically, hastening her pace. When she came closer, they could see that she was tugging someone else along.

"Come on Onii-chan!"

Tsuna looked on curiously as Kyoko and her brother continued their way towards them. The older boy looked about Kyo-kun's age, Tsuna noted as he continued observing the newcomer.

"Their hair color's different. Do you think his color is natural?" Tsuna whispered to an apathetic Kyouya as Kyoko and her brother came to a stop before them, his silver hair bobbing up and completely defying gravity.

"It is very nice to meet you! I am Kyoko's older brother, Ryohei! I have heard so much about you! Thankyousomuchforsavingmylittlesister! She's told me all about you guys! ThismustbeKyo-kun!Youguysaresobrave! I will never forget about your kindness for the rest of my life!"

Tsuna blinked while Kyouya's eyes flashed with irritation.

What?

"Uh… Hi?" The younger boy responded back, unsure. He lost track of what the older boy said the first two sentences.

"Mou, Onii-chan! I told you to slow down while talking." Kyoko admonished. She turned to her two friends and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, he gets a little excited sometimes." Kyouya looked at her with a deadpan stare. "Ok, fine. Really excited."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I know that Ryohei originally said EXTREMELY all the time, and that's part of his charm but I wanted to try something else. So, in comes Ryohei who speaks faster than anyone can comprehend.


	14. Meeting

"Hey, did you hear?"

Tsuna turned around and cocked his head sideways in question at Kyoko.

"About what?" He asked. Kyoko's eyes sparkled with excitement as she leaned in closely.

"Apparently we have transfer students coming in." She whispered conspiratorially. The youngest of the pair looked at her, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"But it's in the middle of the semester…" He trailed off for a moment and narrowed his eyes teasingly. "Is that why you're dressed so nicely today?"

Kyoko blushed but didn't reply, hastening her pace to the classroom and leaving an amused Tsuna to follow behind her.

Just as they sat down, the teacher came in and clapped her hands excitedly.

"Alright class! We have two new transfer students today! One's from Italy…" The students broke out in excited chatter about having a  _foreign student_ in class. "…and the other is from Hokkaido." She raised her voice slightly above the noise level, pausing to fix a stern look at the class. "Let's all be nice to them ok?"

When choruses of "yes ma'm!" responded, she smiled warmly and walked over to the door, ducking her head out the hallway.

"You two can come in now."

Tsuna found himself staring at the two transfer students with curious wonderment. A slight buzzing rang in the back of his head, but he found himself pushing the feeling back absentmindedly. The room suddenly felt a lot warmer… and not necessarily in a bad way, he thought.

He broke himself out of his thoughts as the younger of the two transfers – a small, petite girl – smiled tentatively and slowly wrote out her name in small, rounded characters on the blackboard. Tsuna switched over to observe the other transfer student, and with a start, found himself staring into a pair of intense, green eyes.

Well, that was embarrassing, Tsuna thought as he averted his eyes, cheeks tinted in pink at being caught sneaking looks at the transfer students. He looked up tentatively, and with relief, noted that the other transfer student had looked away and wrote his name on the blackboard as well.

"I am Dokuro Chrome," She blushed a pretty pink when the entire class focused their attention on her. "I-it's nice to meet you."

"Gokudera Hayato."

The students waited to hear the rest, but instead Gokudera fixed the students with a stare before moving himself down the aisle and slid gracefully into the back corner seat, lips pursed in resolute silence.


	15. Chances

Gokudera stared at the small group huddled together in a loose, semi-circle. It was  _so weird_  to see them like this again. It was not… normal.

It's never going to be normal again, stupid, he scolded himself bitterly, furiously blinking back the tears that threatened to spill. He would not cry. He would not show any weakness in front of them.

He. Would. Not.

"Gokudera-kun, are you ok?"

Gokudera blinked, snapping out of this thoughts. Warm, chocolate orbs stared at him, and he couldn't help the small smile that curved his lips and the rush of reassurances that bubbled up in response, threatening to break out. The door to the roof creaked before he could reply, and everyone's attention turned towards the door.

"Arara, it seems like there are already people up here, Chrome."

The new transfer student peeked out from behind the male she was behind and shyly smiled at the group.

"Chrome-chan! I was wondering where you went." Kyoko's voice sounded out warmly from the group as she rose up to walk over to the pair.

"You are…?" She trailed off unsurely, looking to Chrome for hints. Next to Tsuna, Kyouya grunted.

"Who cares who he is? They're crowding." He bit out in irritation. Tsuna swatted his arm lightly and gave him a warning look. Kyouya glared back, but obligingly quieted down.

"A whipped chick?" The male newcomer taunted, crossing his arms and smirking. Kyouya lazily stood up and grabbed his tonfas in answer, leveling a glare.

"It seems like someone doesn't know their place."

Gokudera stared at the picture in front of him. It was definitely weird. Ryohei wasn't constantly screaming in everyone's ears about what he would do EXTREMELY, Hibari wasn't glaring at everyone and avoiding the family, and Mukuro didn't have the dangerous aura around him he used to carry.

He leaned back and surreptitiously brushed away a tear.

He watched as Hibari attempted to step forward, only to be held back by Tsuna while Mukuro smirked and drawled more degrading remarks about whipped birds. Eventually, Tsuna gave up and opted to take Chrome by the hand and lead her over to the circle, letting Hibari and Mukuro work out their issues.

"Gokudera, do you want some eggs?" Yamamoto offered, an easy grin on his face. The past bomber couldn't stop the smile that formed as a response. As he reached over with his chopsticks, he realized that indeed, this was not normal.

But, he thought as Yamamoto slung an arm over his shoulder, this was a second chance.


	16. Siblings

"Tsu-kun, I have some news for you."

Tsuna tilted his head in confusion and looked to his mom. She giggled slightly before taking a deep breath and looking at him seriously.

"Do you want a little brother?"

Tsuna blinked once, silent. Then he blinked again before the news finally settled in. He jolted out of his chair, hands accidentally knocking over his mug.

"Eh? Mom, are you pregnant?" He blurted out without thinking, ignoring the mess that was now on the table and dripping onto the floor. Nana grabbed the dishcloth from the kitchen counter and wiped up the mess, unperturbed by Tsuna's reactions. Aware of her son's disbelieving looks and growing irritation, she looked up and smiled reassuringly.

"One of your dad's friends was in an accident. The entire family died in the car accident, leaving behind a small child." Nana stopped there, carefully observing Tsuna's reactions. Tsuna furrowed his eyebrows in concentration, trying to not allow the surge of sympathy and empathy show on his face.

"How long have you guys been thinking about this?" He finally asked, feeling more rattled than his outward appearance suggested. Nana looked at him, unable to fully read her son.

"Ever since the night of the accident. The child... Isn't very well liked by the rest of his relatives." She said carefully. He closed his eyes, feeling the sympathy rise up further. Tsuna picked up the cup that he had knocked over and set it on the table, sitting down. Nana didn't move from her position.

Finally, Tsuna looked at her and smiled warmly. She felt a large amount of pride blossom and surge in her heart as she walked over and pulled her son into a tight hug.

* * *

He hid behind the big person's leg. He was suddenly brought to a weird place and he didn't understand why he was brought here. He wanted to go home!

"It's ok." He looked over timidly and a smaller big person with kind eyes smiled at him. He didn't know why, but his heart immediately calmed down and he found himself drawn to him. He took a cautious step forwards, big round eyes looking up.

"Who are you?" He asked shyly. A gentle hand patted his unruly curls.

"I'm Tsuna. I'll be your big brother from now on." Ah, that's why. That's why this person felt so safe.

"Big brother? You're Lambo's big brother?" Big brother picked him up and grinned. He automatically wrapped his smaller arms around big brother's neck and snuggled in.

"Yes, yes I am."


	17. Trio

Tsuna gave a long sigh before slouching down on the bench, twisting his body sideways.

"You know, we really need to stop meeting like this."

A laugh sounded from besides him as two boys also sat down, sandwiching him in-between.

"Maa, maa. Isn't it kind of great how we always manage to meet up like this?" Yamamoto said genially, throwing an arm around Tsuna. Two seats over, Gokudera gave a grunt.

"I don't mind meeting up with Jyu-Tsuna, but why do you have to be here too?"

Tsuna raised an eyebrow at Gokudera. Was he just about to call him someone else? That seems to happen quite often, Tsuna mused. Before he could say anything, Yamamoto laughed again and stood up, tugging Tsuna with him by the wrist.

"Well, then you can leave, and Tsuna and I will go on a date." The baseball player slipped Tsuna's hand into his and gave him a playful wink. "C'mon, let's leave the sulker alone."

A flash of irritation went through the silver-haired teen, but he pushed it down and stood up. Snorting, he grabbed Tsuna's other hand and, on a childish impulse, stuck his tongue out at Yamamoto.

Tsuma stared at the two, blushing slightly. He could hear the murmurs and stares starting around him.

"Guys, we're in a public park." He whispered, slightly tugging both hands to remind the two of the weird display they were putting on. His friends simply grinned at him and tightened their hold, simultaneously pulling him towards the ice cream truck.

"Tsuna, do you want chocolate or vanilla?" Tsuna gave a pointed glare.

"Stupid, Tsuna likes strawberry." Ok, so they weren't getting the hint after all, or they just weren't caring. Tsuna was willing to bet all of his 5000 yen savings that it was the latter.

He watched as Gokudera told the ice cream vendor their orders – chocolate for Gokudera, matcha for Yamamoto, and strawberry for him. The man gave them a slightly condescending look, but Yamamoto's out-of-place glare quickly settled the issue.

Sighing in defeat, Tsuna allowed himself to be dragged to the nearby bench. His friends were weird.

But, Tsuna thought as the two released his hands so he could grab his cone, the warmth surrounding his hands hadn't been so bad after all. Even if it did result in embarrassing misunderstandings.


	18. Boys-night

A small beam of light glowed dimly in the dark space.

Footsteps and the jangle of keys echoed through the silent hallway loudly, and with rush of hushed whispers, the light disappeared. Seconds later, the door opened with a resistant creak. The janitor poked his head in with a sweeping eye and, satisfied, closed the door. He walked down the hallway, his footsteps and the jangle of keys slowly fading until the hall was completely silent.

"I need to pee!" Lambo jumped out from behind the desk, jumping up and down as fast as his little body could. Several hushing sounds responded as heads slowly peeked out from behind the desks and out of the closet, looking around cautiously as if afraid the janitor would pop out of nowhere.

"Lambo, come here. I'll take you." Tsuna offered as he held out his hand. "Ah, I can take him. I need to go to the bathroom too." Kyoko said as she stood up, stretching out the kinks from huddling inside the closet. Tsuna smiled gratefully and nodded. Yamamoto grinned and waved him over to the table, excited to start their boys' night.

Silence ensued.

As if orchestrated, the boys slowly turned to look at Kyoko owlishly. The orange-haired girl grinned and waved, moving to the side. Chrome peeked out and smiled, waving shyly at the group.

Tsuna blinked. Then chaos erupted.

"—Kyokoyoucame! I am so excited! WaitIswearIdidn'ttellherabouttonight."

"—What are you guys doing here? It's an all-boy's night."

"—Arara, Chrome, you could've just asked."

_Bam!_

A loud slam on the table stopped the loud chatter. Ryohei made to say something else, but a glare from Kyouya quickly persuaded him otherwise. A pissed off Kyouya was someone that Tsuna, and only Tsuna, could deal with.

"What are you guys doing here?" Kyouya asked calmly, only the slightest hint of irritation seeping through. Tsuna discreetly laid a hand on his elbow, trying to calm him down. When he felt the other lean into him slightly, he smiled and turned his attention back to Kyoko and Chrome.

"Like I said, we want to join! It's only two more people." Kyoko huffed, crossing her arms defiantly. Yamamoto crossed his arms behind his head and shrugged, "Well, we might as well. They're already here."

"Didn't I already tell you guys that they would find some way to join in?"

Multiple hands swatted at Gokudera for his comment. He rolled his eyes and simply tossed two extra sleeping bags at the girls.

A silent agreement passed through the room, and the bustle became louder as everyone went about setting up their sleeping bags. Tsuna smiled as he tucked himself in between Kyouya and Mukuro. It was nice being with the boys, but it was nicer when everyone was together.

"I still need to pee!"

Gokudera smirked as Kyoko widened her eyes and jumped out of her sleeping bag in an apologetic frenzy. Some things just never changed.


	19. Light

He fiddles around with the small, glass object. It's a brilliant myriad of orange and blue, two colors that always had a special place in his heart.

Hayato remembers a time where his limbs were long and walking to the nearest convenience center took half the strides it takes him now. Memories of soothing, calm smiles and determined, protective orange eyes – the two constants in what had been a busy, ever-changing life – plague him, and he wakes up realizing that although he still sees similar things on a daily basis, it'll never be the same again.

The marble in his hand glistens, and he absent-mindedly turns it around in his hands. The light reflects off the surface and, briefly, makes a rainbow of colors before it disappears, never to appear quite the same again.

"A penny for your thoughts?"

He looks up and sees a smaller, pre-teen version of the man he came to respect, love, and admire. For a brief second, the child disappears and standing in front of him is a tall, slender male with brilliant orange eyes smiling softly with a sort of understanding that only he would ever be capable of. He blinks and the child appears again, eyes a pale orange sparkling with a naivety that he hasn't seen in over twenty years. The touch of concern shown in those eyes make him swell with emotions because he will always, always love his boss. Yet there are days where he turns around and longs for the eyes that constantly said _, it's ok, no matter what happens, I'll protect you guys._

"This marble," Hayato finally says after what seemed like a stifling period of silence, "The colors are never the same evem when light reflects on it again."

Just like how you are him, but not him at the same time. He doesn't actually say this out loud, but when Jyuudaime looks at him with a sympathetic look, Hayato somehow thinks that this child does, at some subconscious level, realize that he is still chasing after phantoms that no longer exist.

Small hands reach out and silently ask for the marble. Hayato hesitates ever so slightly before relinquishing it. Tsuna holds it up to the sun, watching as it passes through the marble and shines a mix of colors.

"It's true that it's never the same again, but the light that passes through is always the same, right?" Hayato wrinkles his brows together, understanding the point but missing it at the same time. Tsuna holds the small object up at another angle, squinting when the sun hits his eyes instead. "The colors are still the same, just different in how it's shown. They each hold their own beauty."

It's with a childlike wonder that the pre-teen devours this new-found piece of wisdom. Even when Hibari comes and picks Jyuudaime up, it's with an absent wave that he says goodbye to his boss  _(if you want, you can join us for ice cream later_ ), and then he's alone again with the words still constantly racing through his brain.

_The colors are still the same, just different in how it's shown. They each hold their own beauty._

He looks down at his arms and legs again. They're small. They're his, but they're not at the same time.

They're not his because just like how he kept chasing after shadows of people that no longer existed, he was also chasing after his own shadow.

_They each hold their own beauty._

Hayato can almost see his Jyuudaime's sigh of exasperation and Takeshi's eye rolling. If they were here, they'd probably simultaneously swat him over the head.

He leans back on the cold railing, looking up at the sky. The view is farther away now. He holds the marble up again, but instead of colors, he sees the visage of his two most important people, smiling at him with all the happiness in the world.

"It's ok now, Hayato."

"It wasn't your fault."

"You can protect them now."

If he closed his eyes, he could almost convince himself that the voices he was hearing was real. His stomach clenches tightly and part of him wants to keep staying on the roof. He doesn't want to move, doesn't want to leave. If he stays here long enough, maybe he could continue to hear them.

_The colors are still the same, just different in how it's shown._

Voices ring in his head, but instead of the low, mature drawl he's used to, they are higher pitched and full of innocence and naivety. Suddenly, he's in the mood for ice cream.

He tucks the marble into his back pocket securely and stands up. He takes his time walking to the door, realizing that there were a series of complex emotions running through his mind and although he cannot fully explain it, he knows that when he reaches the door and opens it, something will fundamentally change. He wants to delay that change, even if it's for a second longer.

His steps slow down, but he hears an exasperated sigh and then there's weights on his back, giving him a huge push forwards. He stops suddenly and whirls around, eyes open in shock and disbelief. No one is there. No one is there, but Hayato has always been smart, albeit on the dense side, and he smiles.

"Alright, alright. I get the hint."

He turns back around and, this time, takes regular strides towards the door. The cold feel of steel is almost absurdly welcoming as he turns the knob. He pauses for the briefest moment. A tear slips out, and he mutters something under his breath before he finally opens the door and takes a step out.

The door slams shut with a resounding bam, but Hayato still manages to catch the whisper.

His smile is bittersweet, but it's with a light heart that he goes in search of the ice cream place.

" _Goodbye."_

" _Do your best."_


	20. After-school

Tsuna kicked the ground with the heel of his shoe, scuffing it with dirt. Behind him, the bell chimed three times: a warning to the remainder of the students still on school grounds. He looked at his watch, absently noting the time. Why did people ever want to stay so late anyways?

He heard the footsteps before anything else. Then again, it's not like Hibari Kyouya of all people would ever jump up to him with a cheerful greeting. The image flashed briefly in his mind, and he chuckled. Definitely not Kyo-chan. Not that he'd ever call him that, Tsuna knew his limits.

"Are you done, Kyo-kun?" Kyoya's eyes narrowed slightly as he came to a stop near the gates, then he gave a slight sigh of exasperation before nodding in response. The younger teen smiled brightly in return, pushing himself off the gates and took the two extra steps separating the two.

"Then, let's go home?" Without waiting for a response, Tsuna bounded ahead, leaving Kyouya to shake his head. His side felt oddly cold now.

"Tsuna," Tsuna stopped immediately at the sound of his name and turned around. Kyoya walked forwards and took his place to the left of the other boy. "Let's go home."

The younger teen shook his head and giggled, bumping their shoulders together.

"You know, you could always just tell me you wanted to walk together."

Kyouya glared heatedly, but didn't resist the arm that tugged him forwards.


	21. Encouragement

"Tsu-kun, look!" Kyoko shoved the magazine in her hands at him, a perfect, pale pink manicured fingertip pointing towards the bottom. Tsuna blinked, looking down at the object that suddenly appeared in front of him. Tilting his head, he tried to make sense of what it was. He cringed a bit. Were all the hearts and flowers in the background really necessary?

"I don't understand." He said, looking back to Kyoko. She rolled her eyes and gave a brief shake of her head– boys.

"Isn't she pretty?" She replied, clarifying her question. "She's popular nowadays. I want to be like her."

"You could do it." Tsuna smiled encouragingly, but his childhood friend deflated at his praise and closed her magazine with a resigned huff. "No I couldn't. She's super pretty. Plus, she started when she was like, five. Not fifteen."

He rolled his eyes. People should learn to take a compliment when it's offered. Especially Kyoko. "Why do you feel the need to compare yourself to her? I think Kyoko-chan is great just the way you are."

A flush tinted her cheeks a brilliant pink. She quickly turned around, not wanting Tsuna to see her face. He was sweet. A little too sweet at times. How did he not blush over his own words?

"Ne, Tsu-kun?" She called out softly, voice hesitant and unsure.

"Hm?"

"Do you… do you think I can actually do it?"

Tsuna smiled, then reached over and put his hand over Kyoko's.

"You would be #1 for sure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, that's all I have for the re-post. Subscribe for new chapters, check back for edits, and please feel free to comment with a one-word prompt for future drabbles!


	22. Pink

"Everything is so  _pink_ ," Gokudera grumbled, glaring at everything in a twenty-meter radius.

"Aww, can't handle a little pink?" Yamamoto teased good-naturedly, slugging an arm across his shoulder. Gokudera glared at the offending arm too, a hefty weight on his right shoulder. 

"I'm _offended_ by it." He corrected. "It's heavy," he added, pointedly staring at the arm draped across his shoulder. Yamamoto shot him a grin, and shifted the weight of his arm, but it remained on his shoulder — a steady, constant weight. 

"Everyone's just hyped up for Valentine's Day." Yamamoto said, after a few seconds ticked by. It would have been better if he hadn't brought up the offending holiday. 

"They're 15," Gokudera scoffed. "What do they know about love?" Yamamoto pointed a raised eyebrow at him. "And you do?"

Gokudera turned away, heart twisting. He _did._ Love was a lean, tan arm, tacky pink boxes of too-sweet chocolate, a cheesy grin, kisses that lasted all day—

Something landed on his head, and he jerked out of his memories — most days he remembered his current age, other days he still found himself swept away by a time that no longer existed — hand reaching upwards.

He brought it down, staring at the object in his hand. "What's this?" 

"A bribe," came Yamamoto's response. Gokudera turned to him, incredulous. 

"A bribe for  _what?"_ His voice came out high, squeaky, and not his own. 

Yamamoto shrugged, standing up. "To give me all the chocolates you will receive next week." He walked away, not giving Gokudera a chance to reply. 

Gokudera stared at his retreating back, a tight grip around the box in his hand. 

"Idiot." It came out with a fondness he would never admit; the pink box of chocolates a reminder some things never changed — no matter the lifetime. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next prompt: Valentine - guess who will be showing up ;)
> 
> Feel free to comment with a prompt! (I'm running out of ideas, lol)


	23. Valentine's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh, sorry this is late! It's Lunar New Year so things are a bit chaotic, lol. This was a bit rushed, but hope you guys enjoy!

He felt the scowl before it even came into existence. If there was a greater mismatch than Hibari Kyouya and Valentine’s Day, he had yet to discover it. Although the prefect never had much expression on his face to begin with, on Valentine’s Day especially his face always molded into a stony silence, displeasure pouring off him in such obvious waves that even Ryohei avoided Kyouya this day of the year.  

“What,” Kyouya asked, gritting his teeth as he spit out the words one-by-one, “is that?”

Tsuna looked down at the orange gift-wrapped box in his hands, then back at Kyouya.

“Chocolates?” His voice went up slightly at the end in question. Kyouya’s face darkened in response, and he stalked over to Tsuna and grabbed the box out of his hands.

“Confiscated.” He said shortly, ignoring Tsuna’s grabbing motion and swiftly placed it inside his pocket. “It’s against the rules.” He added, glowering at Tsuna.

“Oh…” Tsuna hesitated. Kyouya looked over, eyebrow raised in warning. Tsuna rolled his eyes in response, walking out the door.

“Well, that’s for you anyways.” He turned back and threw a cheeky smile. “No need to get jealous Kyo-kun.”


End file.
